The US finished the selection process of 55,000 visas: applicants will be able to verify if they were chosen
He United States Department of State began the registration process for Diversity Visas Lottery 2026 (DV-2026), a program that allows citizens from certain countries to request a permanent residence in the country. Registration was available from October 2 to November 7, 2024 and was completely free, according to the State Department on its official page.
The program, established by the United States Congress under the 1990 Immigration Law, assigns up to 55,000 permanent residence visas to randomly selected applicants. Citizens from countries with low immigration rates to the United States can participate during the last five years. The results of the selection process will be published in May 2025, and the winners must complete the additional requirements to obtain the Green Cardas detailed by the State Department.
To be eligible, the applicant must have been born in a country included in the list of participating nations. In addition, it is required to have completed at least secondary education or demonstrate a minimum of two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training, according to the provisions of the program published in Travel.state.gov.
The Diversity Visas Lottery It has been a recurring program in United States immigration policy, designed to offer opportunities to citizens of countries with low representation in immigration towards the country. Since its creation, millions of people have applied every year in the hope of obtaining permanent residence. However, the number of selected is limited, and eligibility is determined by strict factors established by US law.
The State Department has also indicated that the selection in the lottery does not automatically guarantee a visa, since those selected must meet all the requirements required by the United States immigration laws. In addition, the number of selected is usually greater than that of available visas, to compensate for possible disqualifications during the application process.
Some countries have been excluded from the program because more than 50,000 of its citizens have emigrated to the United States with immigrant visas in the last five years. Countries not eligible for DV-2026, according to the official list published in Travel.state.govare:
- Bangladés
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (including Hong Kong)
- Colombia
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- South Korea
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
The results will be available from May 2025 and can be consulted in dvprogram.state.gov using the confirmation number received during registration. Those selected will be notified through the website and not by email or telephone, according to the United States Department of State To prevent fraud.
The period to verify the results will remain open until the end of September 2026. Those selected must act rapidly to complete the required procedures within the established deadlines, since the visas are granted until the annual limit is reached or the corresponding fiscal period.
Participants selected in the Visas lottery They must complete the DS-260 formsend the required documentation and attend a Interview at an American embassy or consulate. They must also pay the USD 330 processing rate before the interview, as indicated in the official information of the United States Department of State.
In the interview, applicants must demonstrate that they meet all program requirements, including background verifications and medical exams. The final approval is at the discretion of the consular officers, who will evaluate the documentation and responses of the applicant, according to the detailed process in Travel.state.gov.
In addition, those selected must demonstrate that they do not represent a public burden for the country and that they have sufficient means to settle in the United States. This may include an employment offer, support from family residents in the country or own financial resources.
